Bear, the 145-pound Rottweiler who literally took a bullet to save the life of the former Richland County sheriff deputy.

Bear, the police dog who lived the rest of her life with three bullets in her body because the operation to remove them could have killed her.

“When I found Bear, I cried like a baby,” Ernsberger said.

Ernsberger, who lives in Shelby, said it is difficult to express the depth of his gratitude to organizers of the memorial for Ohio police dogs, dead and alive.

“‘Thank you’ does not even come close,” he said.

Bear is one of some 2,400 Ohio police dogs whose names are on the 5-foot by 6-foot walls recently revealed in a ceremony at the outdoor Ohio Police K9 Memorial next to Amelia Village Hall at 119 W. Main St.

A third wall inscribed with a poem about K-9 officers and their dogs called “Guardians of the Night” also debuted.

Ernsberger’s heartfelt reaction to seeing Bear’s name on a wall was not unique, said Cpl. Craig Heintzelman, a K-9 officer with the Amelia Police Department and president of the nonprofit Ohio Police K9 Memorial Foundation.

“I was moved seeing the handlers’ appreciation when seeing their dog on the walls and to have them know their dog will not be forgotten,” Heintzelman said.

Heintzelman owns two dogs, Gator and Siggy, who work with his police department and others as needed.

It was Heintzelman who in 2015 came up with the idea to build the Ohio Police K9 Memorial to honor all police dogs who are serving or who have served with law enforcement officers in the state.

Heintzelman secured permission from Amelia Village Council to develop the memorial on the site by village headquarters, where a bronze statue of a police dog was erected early on.

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This bronze statue of a police dog keeps vigil at the Ohio Police K9 Memorial in Amelia,(Photo: The Enquirer/Jeanne Houck)

“It is important to recognize and remember what these dogs have given us through their service," Heintzelman said.

Ernsberger has no trouble remembering the day in 1984 that an escaped convict shot him in the chest and shoulder and Bear three times in the chest.

The dog headed off a bullet shot at Ernsberger’s head.

Five years later, Bear was dead.

“The day she died, she was still carrying all three bullets because the vet said he would do more damage trying to take them out than to leave them alone,” Ernsberger said.

Heintzelman and Beth Whitehead, treasurer of the Ohio Police K9 Memorial Foundation, would be happy to add more walls of names at the memorial – even though the thousands of names they’ve found so far took quite a bit of work.

They searched the internet, read newspapers, checked out Facebook posts, called other researchers, contacted various agencies and acted on tips.

“We know that there are still more K-9s that have served Ohio, and welcome information regarding any additional dogs,” Whitehead said.

Whitehead and Heintzelman have not forgotten the dog handlers.

When they learn a police dog has died, they send condolences and an “angel coin” to the handler.

“We would also like to become a resource to K-9 handlers throughout the state,” Whitehead said.

“There are many organizations that provide equipment to K-9 units. We would like to help handlers find those services.